Cultivator.



c. R. BENEFIELD.

GULTIVATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22, 1912.

Patented 001121, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m''zesgses,

. c. R. BENEPIBLD.

GULTIVATOR.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1912.

Patented 0013.21, 1913.

maze)??? 0. R. BENEFIELD.

GULTIVATOR;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 BHBETSSHEET 3.-

CHAUNGE! R1 BENEEIELD; OF'MEIWEIS; TENNESSEE.

CULTIVATION Specification Let/tournam- Patented-Octr2L 19-18Z Application filed Kay 22, 1912. Serial No. 698,974.:

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, CHAUNoEY-R. BENE- FIELD, acitizen of the United States,- resid-ing at-fMemphis, in thecounty of Shelby and State of TQIIHBSSQQ3 have-invented new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to cultivatorsembodying adjustable wings or side beams that may be moved upwardly or downwardly and inwardly and outwardly to accommodate anycoudition of land, whereby the central portion of the cultivator may be utilized in cultivatii-ig the soil at regular depths while the movable side beams or'wings may be adjusted-to cultivateridges to the proper depth or depressed and adapted to hug the middleportion-of the-soil relatively to the cultivator-as in listed land. Furthermore the sidebeamsonwings may be utilized .to carrvdifierent devices for cultivating the plants in furrows and at the sametime avoid tearingdown the -middle bead or ridge to any material QXtQIllm The improved cultivator is also adapted for-side hill uses or for-level land having an: irregular rise at one side thereof, whereby either side beamor wing may be elevated to the proper extent-or thrown completely out of commission while-the middleportion and-remainingsidewing of thecultivator are in oporation.

The main advantage of theimproved cultivator ;is th at it materially reduces the number of= draft animals necessary to effectively cultivate the land therewith, it being foundthat. the cultivating operation bythe use-of the improved cultivator maylie-carried on with one draft animal.

A-further advantage is that the improved eultivatorzmay be. readily converted into .a side-- barrow by reversing the blades and causingthe soil to be taken away from-the plants cultivated or thrown up -into hills relatively totheplants. The parts-of the cultivator may also be adjustedto enable ittoz-beconveniently conveyed-from and onto a :piece of land.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of theseveral partswhichyvill be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

times of fthetinvention and showing one; f

lines. Fig; 2 is a sectionalv side elevation-- of,.the cultivaton- Fig. 3 is .afront end elevation showing, the 1 parts .of the cultivator adjusted in;-different positions in dotted lines. Figs. i and flare detail views showingdifi'erent'parts of the cultivator. Fig, 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of oneof the side-beam or wingadjustable couplings and illustrating a slight modification.

Fig. 7 is a. transverse vertical section.

through the structure shownbyFig. 6.

The main frame of the improved cultivator comprises two beams 5 and 6 whichare converged at their front extremities and connected to a draft bar 7 havingits front extremity 8 curved upwardly and then pro-.

jected .rearwardly, as shown-by Fig. 2, andprovidedwith a series of apertures 9 for-theadjustable attachment of aclevis-or analogous device 16) for thepurposeof regulat ing thedraft relatively to the depth of penetration of thecultivati-ng devices. Adjust:

ably depending from the draft ban/7 -is a forwardly and downwardly inclined shank.

verse coupling bar 15 and the converging parts of-the-beams 5 and 6 inadvance thereof.- braces 16 are applied for the purpose of strengthening the front ofthemachineand also of maintaining the said couplingbar 15 infixed position to resist lo0sening movementor displacement. The

main beams 5 and (Sin rear of the coupling bar-.15 have a cross-conneoting strip 17 secured-thereto-.- and to the said main beams near the-rear extremitiesof the-latter across frame bar 18' is. applied and secured and has its opposite endsprojectedoutwardly. beyond thesaid beams .and formed? with pairs of eyes-onapertured ,lugs 19 fora purpose ,which will be presently: ex plained- The beams 5 and 56 are-irregularlyformed, thatis, eaehb'eam' has a, plurality of ""oflsets or indentations; 2-0 which-permit theside. eemss erwi gsaldiustediiadottedi that. cultivating devie su be: be. attached thereto in various. positions inwardly and outwardly relative to the longitudinal center of the machine to compensate for different widths of rows or cultivating requirements, and which also permit the forward and rear cultivating devices to be disposed out of alinement with respect to each other, so as to cover a greater. surface of the land, transverselyconsidered, in the cultivating operation. In rear of the frame bar 18 the beams 5 and 6 are converged and receive be-' tween them the upper extremity of the shank or post of a runner 21; and to the outer sides of the said beams 5 and 6 immediately in rear of the frame bar 18 extension bars 22 are attached. These bars 22 project rearwardly an equal distance with the rear converged extremity of the main frame or the connected beams and 6 and also carry runners 23.

Instead of the runner 21 held between the rear converged extremities of the beams 5 and 6, a shovel plow may be attached or other cultivating devices, such as coverers or harrow teeth, and any other suitable implement may also be substituted for the runners 23. V

The runners regulate the depth of pene tration of the rear portion of the cultivator and also cooperate with the colter wheel 12 to cause the cultivator to move in regular 7 alinement relatively to the rows of plants cultivated or the furrows that may be formed. Handle bars 24 are secured at their front ends to the connecting strap 17 and extend upwardly and rearwardly over the cultivator and are attached by braces 25 to the beams 5 and 6 immediately in advance of the frame bar 18, the handle bars being arranged at the rear of the cultivator in the ordinary manner so that the opera,- tor may readily manipulate the machine.

On the opposite ends of the coupling bar 15 heads 26 are applied or secured, each head embodying a rear convex or semispherical face 27 and a central rearwardly diverging opening 28 extending fully therethrough. On each side of the cultivator is a wing or side beam 29 having a socket 30 at its front extremity provided witha concave seat 31 to recelve the convex face 27 of the head 26, the socket having a bolt or pin 32 extending centrally therefrom through the opening 28 of the head and secured by a nut as shown. The socket 30 and head 26 thus form a ball and socket connection to render the adjustment of the side beam or wing 29 sensitive and without material wear or resistance so far as the forward extremity thereof is concerned. The rear end of each wing 29 has the outer extremity of a coupling device secured thereto, and this device may be either of the .form shown by Fig. 4 or that shown by Fi s. 6 and 7. The said coupling device is pre erably composed of two bars 33 and 34 arranged in telescopic association or with the bar 34 movable over the bar 33., the bar 33, as shown by Fig. 4, being ivotally attached at its inner end between t e ears or lugs 19 of the frame bar 18, and the bar 34 secured at its outer end to the rear end of the side beam or wing 29. In the formof the coupling device shown by Figs. 6 and 7, the bar 34 has its inner end'pivotally attached to the outer end of the frame bar 18 and the bar 33 is secured to the side beam or wing 29. In the form of the couplin device as shown by Fig. 4, the bar 34 as a plurality of openings 35 therein to receive av clamping bolt and nut 36 which is slidable in a longitudinal slot 37 in the under bar 33 and by means of which the two bars may be contracted or extended relatively to each other and correspondingly shift and position each side beam or wing 29 inwardly or outwardly relatively to the longitudinal center of the machine or the adjacent beams 5 and 6 and thereby decrease or increase the transverse cultivating extent of the machine as a whole.

For many reasons the securing means for the bars 33 and 34 of the coupling device as shown by Figs. 6 and 7 is preferred, and consists in longitudinally slotting the bar 34, as at 38, and forming an opening '39 in the lower bar 33 to receive a bolt or pin 40 having a lower nutted end with a spring 41 thereon and bearing against the under side of the bar 33. The upper end of the pin or bolt 40 is provided with a cross-head 42 pivotally held between the opposite ends of a. bifurcated cam 43 having a handle 44, the head 42 being eccentrically pivoted with relation to the members of the cam 43. When the cam 43 is turned down in the position shown by Fig. 6 the pin 40 is loose and the bars 33 and 34 may be shifted relatively to each other, and when the cam is elevated as shown by Fig. 7 the bars 33 and 34 are caused to have a binding association by reason of the cam 43 forcefully pressing on the upper bar 34. The side beams or wmgs 29 may also be elevated or depressed through the medium of adjusting bars 45 attached to outer angle lugs 46 secured either on the bars 34 of the coupling device, as shown by Fig. 4, or onthe bars 33 of the coupling device, as shown by Figs. 6 and 7, the said adjusting bars 45 being crossed in rear of the handle bars 24- and held in adjusted position by a clamping bolt or analogous device 47 having a rearwardly projecting crank handle 48 and held in a supporting bar 49 secured to the upper portions of the braces 25. The clamping bolt or analogous device 47 projects through slots 50, extending longitudinally of the inner extremities of the said adjusting bars 45, as clearly shown by Fig. 3, the said slots 50 being long enough to give the side beams or wings 29a wide ran e of adjustment either above or below a orizontal plane or to entirely lift either one or both side beams or wings above the plane of the beams and 6. The side beams or wings 29 have cultivating devices attached thereto at intervals, those shown being in the form of sweeps 51 with their posts or shanks 52 removably attached to the said side beams or wings. It will be understood, however, that scrapers, side plows, bull tongues or barrow; teeth may be substituted y for the sweeps 51, and it proposed to equip the machine with all forms of culti-.

vating devices that may be adapted to be used thereon. The main beams 5 and 6 are also shown provided with shovel plows or cultivators 53, and these may be replaced by any other cultivating devices desired and as the particular work to be done ma reguire.

By connecting the ;forward en s o the side beams or wings 29 through the medium of the ball and socket devices or joints hereinbefore described, they ma be adjusted inwardly or outwardl as we 1 as vertically without the least bind ing action at the said forward joints, and the change of position ofthe beams will not be "in the least retarded, and after the desired adjustment of the side beams has been made they may be retained positively in the positions desired.

The improved cultivator. as hereinbefore described will be found exceptionally useful in general cultivation and adaptable to various conditions as to irre 'larities in the land cultivated as well as side hill uses and is not in the least restricted as to the character of the cultivating devices that may be used thereon.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cultivator of the class specified, the combination of a main frame comprising a nesses.

l pair of beams, a coupling bar extendin across the" forward extremities of the said pair of beams, side beams or wings connected at their front extremities to the coupling bar by ball and socket joints, extensible coupling devices attached to the rear ends of the side beams or wings and the rear portion of the cultivator, handle bars connected to the air of beams of the main frame, and adjustable draw bars also connected to the rear extremities of the side beams or wings and a portion of the handle bars.

. 2. In a cultivator of the class specified, the combination of a main frame comprising a pair of beams, a coupling bar extending across the forward extremities of the said main frame beams, side beams or wings attached at their front ends ,by universal joints to the opposite ends of the coupling means for adjustably holding the said draw bars on, the supporting bar of the-handle, cultivating devices attached "to all of the beams, and draft means secured to the front extremities of the pair of beams of the main frame.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto as my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- OHAUNCEY R. BENEFIELD. Witnesses:

D. 0. WHEELER,

B. F. WOLF. 

